‘Carbon capturing’ bio-plastic used for Tokyo 2020 hockey surface

Hockey pitches manufactured from bio-based, carbon-capturing plastic will be used during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, according to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The turf that will be used is known as Poligras Tokyo GT. Around 60% of the filaments are based on a “sustainable” polyethylene developed by plastics organisation Braskem, which is derived from sugar cane – a vegetable raw material that “captures carbon dioxide from the environment.”

According to Braskem, for every kilogram of bio-based polyethylene used for the Games, around five kilograms of carbon emissions will be saved.

Last year, the Tokyo 2020 organising committee revealed its Towards Zero Carbon policy, which includes energy-saving measures and using renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, and acquiring carbon offsets to balance out unavoidable emissions.